Results tagged “budget”

The sweet scriubes over at Streetsblog posted a might fine article on how San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, allegedly, "has been quietly pressuring MTA Chief Nat Ford to delay or prevent proposals to extend parking meter hours on weeknights and Sundays, despite a looming mid-year MTA budget deficit and studies that show it's good policy."

Ahem. @GavinNewsom: "Just signed SF's [$6.6 Billion] budget. Worked w/ colleagues to increase funding for univ health care program, protect jobs for teachers, police + fire." The budget also "prevented the closure" of Newsom's non-environmental pet project, the Community Hall of Justice Center, or whatever that Night Court-like Tenderloin thing is called. Read more about today's budget signing here.

California State Parks director Ruth Coleman said that the agency faces a total of about $39 million in cuts after the new budget, which directly states a $14.2 million cut, was signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today. Additionally, $2.4 million was siphoned from a cigarette tax fund because less people are smoking. Furloughs and salary cuts round out the large number (Note: a full budget fact sheet is embedded below).

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally signed California's budget today, making additional cuts to fill a $1.1 billion gap left by legislators in their approved package. An additional $6.2 million was cut from state parks after an $8 million cut was proposed last week. That makes a total of $14.2 million, a number the Schwarzenegger's office predicts "will result in the closure of probably more than 100 parks."

Oversized wristwatch connoisseur, former Hollywood thespian, and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has some news: "@Schwarzenegger: Budget passed. Thanks to the legislature for the hard work last night and today. Plan to sign next week." But wait, there's more! "@Schwarzenegger: I will be going live @ www.gov.ca.gov in a few minutes to discuss the budget. Tune in!"

by Chris Jones

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and your legislative leaders came to a tentative agreement this evening to (finally!) "balance California's $26 billion deficit by cutting broadly across state government, shifting costs into the future and capturing funds from cities and counties." According to goes on to explain, "includes spending cuts to programs ranging from schools to welfare-to-work to prisons. It takes money from local governments, including borrowing $2 billion that the state will repay starting in 2013 and taking gas taxes that normally go toward local road projects." By the numbers: 6 billion in cuts to education, 3 billion slashed to higher education, and 1.2 billion pruned from prisons. (Cuts to prison funding, however, will not mean that prisoners would get released early.) Some things that were spared? Cal Grants and most state parks. Please standby for fallout.

Sadly, the answer could be no. SFAppeal has a phenomenal video that highlights the declining bison population of San Francisco. Although only five of them remain in the city today, "the bison recently returned to a new, $1.2 million dollar improved paddock in Golden Gate Park." Which is good news, right? But with the city budget getting slashed to bits, their maintenance could prove hazardous to their survival. Be sure to check out this heart-warming and unique look at the city that many of you, and a few furry fellas, call home.

Scene from yesterday's budget rally to, like, help save public health. Read more about it over at SFBG.

Mayor Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed budget for fiscal year 2009-10 which would take affect July 1st, and in it he proposes eliminating 1,600 city jobs (including 900 currently vacant positions and 685 layoffs, some of which have already occurred) and cutting funding to several social service programs, including $23M in services to the mentally ill, addicted and people with HIV/AIDS.

Have you heard that BART and Muni fares are increasing? A news story that seems to pop up at least once a month? Or not? Anyway, BART prices will increase on July 1. And Muni will jump to $2 on July 1 as well. We're sure it's way more complicated than we could possibly imagine, rife with locals politicking, Excel spreadsheets, and lots of chin scratching. But feel free to lose your proverbial shit over the increase in the comments, even though both fares are still pretty damn cheap compared to other big cities. (Or not.)

In a meeting filled with local online notables -- that is to say, Streetsblog, the Guardian, SF Weekly, former D6 candidate Paul Hogarth, your mother -- the Board of Supervisors plans on voting on the Muni budget, which is white hot with interest. So far that solar thing is the topic on-hand, with Eric Mar, D1 supe saying, "I did my homework and... this is a good deal for the city... for the interest of our city's climate change plans. I'll be supporting the project as is, and not supporting any delays." New papa Ross Mirkarimi quipped, "We should not be seduced by eco-chic proposals ... [The cost] of renewable energy, will come down precipitously." And Chris Daly talked about Steven T Jones and something French. They should get to the SFMTA item soon. Hopefully. Anyway, through it all, one thing is for sure: the Board of Supervisors feel very, very important today. So, give them a moment of your time by checking out SF Appeal, who are live blogging today's BOS meeting right now. Update: "It's just been continued! To later in the meeting!" SFMTA budget = eleventh hour song.

CBS 5 reporter Joe Vazquez, who took to the streets with critical massers last month, posed a question: Why isn't critical mass paying its fair share for the cost of their monthly ride? After all, according to Vazquez, an event permit would be $1,000 (that's $12,000 for the year), required portable bathrooms (?!) are another $500 each time ($6,000 for the year), a $1,000 cleaning deposit ($12,000 a year), police protection at 20 officers comes to more than $112,000 a year, and another $13,000 for two sergeants. This makes a grand total of $155,060 tax dollars.

The latest Oakland City Budget document dropped yesterday, and in it Mayor Ron Dellums is proposing laying off 140 of the city's 803 police officers in order to help meet an estimated $80 to $100 million shortfall this year. The budget crisis stems from a loss in property tax revenue as well as rising costs for employee retirement funds and healthcare.

How bad is the Muni budget problem? Bad enough that our jet-setting mayor was actually quoted about it in the paper! From the Chronicle:

It is done. (Well, almost done.) By 7 a.m., both houses of the Legislature passed the shiny budget plan. The 33 bills include "$15 billion in spending cuts, $11.4 billion in borrowing, $12.8 billion in taxes and about $2 billion of federal funds from the federal stimulus package that President Obama signed on Tuesday." Also, a 1-cent on the dollar sales tax, vehicle license fee, and an increase in the state income tax are tacked on for good measure.

"In the face of a $42 billion budget shortfall, and still no budget, measures are needed to preserve the State’s cash." And with that begins the official layoff letter sent out to 200,000 state workers on Tuesday, notifying them that they "face layoff, demotion in lieu of layoff, or transfer." Arnold made good on his promise to send word out of impending terminations if a budget agreement wasn't reached on Tuesday. It wasn't; he did.

Budget or not, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is all set to send layoff notices (warnings) to 20,000 state workers. According to the Sacramento Bee, "those with the least seniority among the approximately 100,000 state workers employed at General Fund units," will get the notice come tomorrow morning. "In the absence of a budget, the governor has the responsibility to realize savings any way he can," said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear, defending Arnold's menacing, mass layoff plan. While he hasn't said exactly how many notices will actually result in layoffs (we going to go ahead and guess most of them), 2,000 layoffs would "save an estimated $150 million, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office."

First Wells Fargo Bank can't attend annual "employee recognition events," now state employees can't get new chaise lounges. It seems the same day the governor vetoed the Democrats' budget proposal, John Chiang, the state controller, ordered $2 million worth of new furniture in the middle of a budget crisis. This is the same man who has promised "to delay more than $3 billion in payments, including income tax refund checks" or Supplemental Security Income checks to senior citizens, the blind, and the disabled. Chiang's spokeswoman Hallye Jordan defends the controller saying that the controller's office expansion was "approved before Chiang took office."

Matt Smith has word that Mayor Gavin Newsom has begged for a piece of the federal stimulus package pie -- a $1 billion slice of it, in fact. What does the city of San Francisco need it for? It seems the Gav wants it for "downtown transit; upgrading the city's water system; airport upgrades; and building sidewalks and sewage ditches at the former Hunters Point naval facility -- slated to become a Lennar-built housing development." (Speaking of upgrading the city's water system, the Chronicle's lead story today happens to be about the need to upgrade the city's emergency water system. What a magical coincidence. Real smooth there, Chon. Tell us, do you swallow too?)

Because city health care programs are under the false impression that they are untouchable bastions of altruism and benevolence, a coalition of community groups, labor, and concerned citizens will hold mock funeral at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon, protesting budget cuts. However, the procession -- which starts at the Civic Center Plaza on the Southwest Green -- will march to City Hall and attempt to offer an alternate list for cuts (e.g., "police collecting overtime to investigate pedestrian right-aways," something called firehouse chauffeurs, Mayoral staff dudeskis, etc.).

In addition to the major cuts Newsom announced earlier this week (during a rare encounter with the Board of Supervisors, and speaking of rare encounters: Mayor Gavin Newsom is currently speaking over at an event where Alex Tourk is in charge, and, of boy, it must be tough for Tourk and Gavin to work together all the time and yet position themselves so they're not in the same photograph, so if you manage to get the former colleagues/buddies in the same shot, do send it our way), there will be another 12.5 percent snip, or $144.7 million, out of the budget next year. So, you know, say goodbye to things like public health, safety, and those things called libraries.

After yesterday's rare appearance before the Board of Supervisors, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced his team's $118 million in proposed "mid-year solutions." Part of said solution will be to eliminate 400 city jobs. While workers will be notified on Friday, they will still be employed by through February 2009. (Hopefully, this will be the start of a budding relationship between the mayor and the Board of Supervisors. Chortle.)

About what cuts? Well, cuts that could be symptomatic of the "greatest crisis since the Great Depression," said Mayor Newsom, according to SFist sources, who spoke to the Board of Supervisors today. That is to say, the whopping $118 million cuts (or what he calls "mid-year solutions") to San Francisco's budget. The entire list will become available later this afternoon. According to Newsom, "there was not a program or project not considered" for cuts. Gulp. (Word is the Mayor had animated discussions with Supervisor Bevan Dufty and his staff about cuts to AIDS funding, and similar discussions with Ross Mirkarimi about snips to criminal justice.) More to come.

Today the "powerful and well-heeled" correctional officers' union today set their lasers on Schwarzenegger for a recall. Lance Corcoran, spokespeson of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, says the reason for the recall is, ahem, "In the history of bad governors, this is the worst governor we've ever had." He went on to say "This is a man who is a poser. That's what he did, that's how he made his living, posing." Wow. God help the next person who pisses off Corcoran. Because: Ouch.

Oh, what fun! Soon after smashing Siebel's hymen to smithereens this weekend, Mayor Gavin Newsom has signed the 2008-2009 budget. Yay! Moments after putting his John Hancock on it, Newsom declared, "Today, I am signing a budget that despite the severe budget crisis [for you, not him], expands universal access to healthcare, strengthens programs for the homeless [sayonara, hobos] and protects public safety [or not] ... [w]e are doing more with less." Yesterday, it passed in a 10-1 vote, with the lone holdout going to SFist's number-one, sanity-estranged fan, Chris Daly.

Speaking of our fine mayor, Newsom's recently released budget plan, it seems, will "terminate critical health and human services, while pumping up salaries for police by 25% and adding many new high paid patronage positions into his own administration," at least according to the folks over at something called the People's Budget Collaborative, brought to you by the loopy kids at the Coalition on Homelessness. They claim the following cuts will happen. Ahem:

While he wouldn't say whether or not Cynthia Thompson will receive a much deserved ax, today Mayor Gavin Newsom did announce that he will hack away at some 1,000 city jobs as well as "limiting overtime costs and raising some city fees." Overall, 450 workers stand to lose their jobs. (And thus 450 sandwich artists are born.)

535 San Francisco Unified School District teachers will receive layoff notices this morning due to state cuts in education funding. Today's pink slip handouts stem from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget '09, which will see San Francisco schools losing around $40 million. According to CBS 5, Mayor Newsom is doing what he can, even if it's a Band-Aid solution to a longterm problem.

Students at Encinal High School walked out of their classrooms today in response to proposed budget cuts. Last night the school board held a tense meeting that went well into the wee hours of the morning, voting to increase class sizes by cutting advanced placement classes, most high school sports, music in the elementary schools, and counselors in the middle schools, reports NBC 11. Students walked out today, marching straight over to the school district's headquarters. They carried signs reading "No Us No Future," "No Sports No School" and "You're Tearing Down Our Future." According to the high school principal: